The present invention relates to information browsing techniques, and more particularly to an invention effective in applications to an information processing technique which is used in a variety of environments of social activity such as homes, enterprises and so forth and enables the browsing and listening to a variety of digital information.
In recent years, digitized information contents or information media as the following (1) to (6) made the object of browsing and listening in homes, enterprises and so forth are having been substantial with the progress of multimedia mainly including personal computers:
(1) video images, sounds, landscapes and so forth recorded by digital cameras or the like;
(2) images, musics, news, games, amusements and so forth provided by DVD""s (digital video disks), Internet and so forth;
(3) electronic characters, aquariums, zoological gardens, art galleries, museums and libraries, virtual travels, and so forth;
(4) digital TV broadcasting, digital TV telephones, electronic mails and so forth;
(5) notices, guidances, commercials and so forth; and
(6) selected information adjusted, edited/extracted from large amounts of information and important to individuals or enterprises.
It may be considered that in the future, a further variety of digital information will be provided and anyone will hope for the browsing and listening to them.
A digital information browsing system needs a computer technology such as a personal computer. An information provider system utilizing a computer network system includes, for example, a technique disclosed by JP-A-8-115337. In this prior art, the system is constructed by a server which stores and provides digital information such as desired multimedia event information and an electronic calendar which is mounted on a dedicated device with a computer such as a personal computer for home use or a display connected by a network. In response to the designation of a date or the like by the dedicated device, the corresponding event information is outputted.
A personal computer has primarily been improved as not a computer for passively processing information as in the watching and listening of TV broadcasting but a computer for personal use for enabling an active information processing as in the composition of a document. Therefore, a point of contact or interface between a personal computer and a user assumes an interactive operation in a form in which the user first designates a desired matter to a system and the system responds thereto. In such a user interface of the personal computer, a keyboard is indispensable for inputting characters and numerals and a mouse is indispensable for pointing an icon or button on a display screen.
An object of the present invention is to provide an information Drowsing system which is installed in a variety of environments such as homes, enterprises and so forth and enables the browsing and listening to a variety of digital information.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an information browsing system having an excellent operability with which anyone can operate the system.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an information browsing system having an excellent installability with which a display can be installed in a variety of locations.
A furthermore object of the present invention is to provide an information browsing system which enables the reduction in total cost and the improvement in management and control of the whole by connecting a plurality of displays to one system device.
A general recognition for an operation by a keyboard-and a mouse is such that the hearing of an explanation in a certain extent or the reading of a brief explanation does not necessarily enable anyone to perform the operation and training of a certain standard is required. On the other hand, a general recognition for the operation of a remote controller for receiving TV broadcasting is such that the hearing of an explanation in a certain extent or the reading of a brief explanation enables anyone to perform the operation. Also, a general recognition for the operation of a touch panel at the time of drawing of cash from a cash dispenser or the like is such that the hearing of an explanation in a certain extent or the reading of a brief explanation enables anyone to perform the operation.
Accordingly, the operation by the keyboard or the mouse in the existing personal computer has a drawback that it is not suitable for the purpose of enabling anyone to perform the operation. In a certain type of personal computer for home use, an operation by a remote controller as in the TV or an operation by a touch panel as in a cash dispenser is possible. In such a type of personal computer, however, the operation by the remote controller or the touch panel is merely an auxiliary feature and enables partial operation and the operation by the keyboard and the mouse is mainly used. Therefore, the keyboard and the mouse are indispensable. Accordingly, such a personal computer has a drawback that is not suitable for the purpose of enabling anyone to perform the operation. The above-mentioned prior art has neither the reference to such a problem n-or the suggestion for solution of the problem.
On the other hand, in order to enable anyone to browse and listen to the above-mentioned digital information by the installation in homes, enterprises or the like, it is very serviceable to separate a display from a system device body such as a personal computer and to utilize a liquid crystal display or plasma display technique or the like to contemplate the reduction in thickness and weight of the display so that the display can be installed at various locations, for example, as a wall mounting type. Thereby, the display can be installed at a variety of those locations distant from the system device which, for example, in a home, include the top of a desk as well as the wall surface of a room, the side surface of a refrigerator, and so forth. Also, in an enterprise, the display can e installed on the top of a desk as well as the wall surface of an office, a conference room, a reception room, a corridor or the like, a notice equipment in the precinct of an airport the structure of a department store, a manufacturing line, the outdoors or the like, and so forth.
Further, it is very serviceable to connect a plurality of such displays to one system device, thereby enabling the utilization for browsing and listening. As compared with the case where a plurality of sets each including one system device body and one display connected thereto are prepared, the connection of a plurality of displays to one system device has a merit that the total cost can be reduced, a merit that the control and management of the whole can easily be made collectively, and so forth. The above-mentioned prior art has no reference to these points.
In a certain type of portable personal computer, the elimination of a keyboard and a mouse for small size and light weight is substituted by the equipment with a touch panel and a pen so that characters can be inputted by use of a function of recognition of characters handwritten by the pen or an operation substituted for the mouse operation can be performed by a pen touch. In this type of personal computer, however, a system device and a display are united for portability. The unitary structure of the system device and the display has a drawback that in order to enable the installation at various locations, for example, as a wall mounting type, not only the display but also the system device body must be reduced in thickness and weight. Also, in the case where a plurality of displays are connected to one system device, it is very inconvenient unless a power supply switch for a personal computer body and a power supply switch for a display are individually provided. However, if the personal computer body and the display are unitary, there is a drawback that inconveniences may be caused from the individual provision of the power supply switches.
To the contrary, if the display and the system device are separated, the realization of reduction in thickness and weight of the display suffices for the installation at various locations, for example, as a wall mounting type. Further, in the case where a plurality of displays are connected to one system device, the individual provision of power supply switches is facilitated. Accordingly, the portable personal computer of the type having the unitary structure of a display and a system device has a drawback that it is not suitable for the purpose of installing the structure at various locations, for example, as a wall mounting type or connecting a plurality of displays to one system device so that anyone is enabled to browse and listen to digital information. The above-mentioned prior art has no reference to these points.
Also, in the above-mentioned type of personal computer in which an operation by a remote controller is possible, a receiver for the remote controller is mounted on not a display but a system device body. However, this structure is very inconvenient in the case where the display is placed at a location distant from the system device. To the contrary, if the receiver for the remote controller is mounted on the display, the operation by the remote controller while browsing and listening to digital information from the display becomes possible even if the display is placed at a location distant from the system device. Accordingly, the personal computer having the receiver for the remote controller mounted on the system device has a drawback that it is not suitable for the purpose of placing the display at a location distant from the system device so that anyone is enabled to browse and listen to digital information. The above-mentioned prior art has no reference to these points.
Thus, the above-mentioned prior art and the existing personal computer s have the drawback that they are not suitable for the main purpose of installing an information browsing system in a variety of environments such as homes, enterprises and so forth to enable anyone to browse and to listen the above-mentioned digital information.
In an information browsing system of the present invention which is installed in a variety of environments such as homes, enterprises and so forth and is used, for example, for the browsing and listening to a variety of digital information, there are attained the improvement in operability of enabling the operation by anyone, the improvement in installability of enabling the installation of a display at a variety of locations, and the reduction in total cost and the facilitation of the management and control of the whole by connecting a plurality of displays to one system device.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information browsing system comprising a system device, a plurality of displays at least one of which has an information input interface, and a general-purpose serial interface for connecting the system device and the displays.
In one specific embodiment, there is provided an information browsing system in which one system device and one or plural displays having an information input interface other than a keyboard and a mouse are connected. For example, at least one of the displays can be equipped with a receiver for a remote controller and/or a touch panel as the information input interface. As required, the display may be equipped with a speaker for output of audio information, a camera and microphone for taking-in of a video image and audio information of a display installing environment, and so forth.
According to an information browsing system of the present invention which is installed in a variety of environments such as homes, enterprises and so forth and is used, for example, for the browsing and listening of desired digital information, there are obtained effects that the improvement in operability of enabling the operation by anyone and the improvement in installability of enabling the installation of a display at a variety of locations are made and the reduction in total cost and the facilitation of the management and control of the whole is realized by connecting a plurality of displays to one system device.